Ironing machine



IN VEN TOR.

R. HOE

IRQNING Mmmm:

Filed` May 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 be@n s, 1927.

Patented 'Dec 6, 1927.

ljilll STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HOE, OF HYDE PARK, :NEW YORK.

IRONNG MACHINE.

Application yfiled. May 29, 1926. Serial 110.112,423.

nism in a machin-e of the type where the rolls are capable of being rotated when either in contact with or spaced from the heatedsurface. 1

In machines having safety release mechanism permitting the release of pressure between roll and heated surface in case the operators hand or arm is caught therebetween, the roll gear or other driving means on the shaft is usually released and moves along with the roll. It has previously been impossible to combine such safety release features iii machines in which the roll driving means cannot be released, as for exam- `ple, when driven by a chain or when in mesh with a driving gear in such position as to be precluded fi'oin moving in the diadvantages of a machine in which the roll is positively driven or not when in any of its normal operating positions contacting with or spaced from the heated surface.

Figure l is an end view of an ironing ina-V chine embodying this invention and `corresponds to a view taken on the line lik-f1a of Figure 2. y

Figure 2 is a front view of Figure lshowing the ydriving gear in section.

rifhe ironing machine of this invention comprises a pair of end frames 1 and 2k supporting upper frames 5 and 6. The heated surface, preferably inl the form of an ironing cylinder 3 is journaled in these frames as shown in Figure 2, and is rotated from any convenient source of power,not shown` by thegear el fixed on shaft 7 The cylinderB may be heated by means of a gas pipe 8 extending lengthwise through the rotatable shaft 7. A feed table 9 is positioned ad- ]acent the upper part of cylinder 3, being supported by brackets 10, formed integral with frames 5 and 6. Y

The upper frames 5 and 6 are provided with the usual guideways 11 in which the bearing boxes 12 are fslidably mounted. Shafts 13 are journaled in bearing boxes 12 and carry padded rolls 14, 15 and 16@ The rolls are driven by roll gears 17 all of which mesh with cylinder gear 18 on shaft 7 It will generally be found advisable to make gears 17 of Ydecreasing size from front to rear so that each roll is given a peripheral speed slightly greater than that of the roll preceding it, in order that the goods passing through theV machine may be slightly stretched while being ironed, but this is not necessary. Each of the rolls 14;, 15 and 16 is provided with end flanges 19 between which suitable padding may be placed. The padding on each roll comprises a lightcan` vas or other sheet fabric Wound around the roll a number of times and preferably depending on rotation of the roll to keep it wound tight. y

Across the tops of the forward guideways 11 bridges 20 are positioned. Housings 21 and 22 are preferably formed with caps and contain the coiled springs 23 which co-opcrate with the bearing boxes 12 to yieldingly press the rolls against the cylinder. raising said rolls, a cam roller 24: is mounted on eachend of each roll to contact with'the cams 25 which are pivoted to the end frain-es by studs 2G. The cams 25r are provided with large central openings whereby the supply 'of air for the gas burner within the cylinbetween levers 28 secured to cams 25 and is connected, by means not shown, to atreadle whereby ther cams may be rotated to lift the rolls froml the cylinder. f

Each roll shaft 13 is provided with a collar 30, keyed thereto, which has a slot 29 extending diametrically across nitsl face. Each'roll gear 17 is provided with a similar slot 31 and an Oldham coupling 32y is positioned between andv engages these two slots, which are thus held at right angles to each other. The purpose of this arrangement is to make it possible for the rolls to be driven iii either raised or lowered position, the change in alinement between shaft rl and For gear 17 being,` taken care ont by the Oldham coupling whichpermits the shatt to be displaced trom the axis ot its driving gear and still have the gear edective to drive `they Another functiony 'for the Gldham shaft. coupling is that ot a quick detachable connection between the roll and its driving `gear so that on release of the spring the roll may be moved entirely out of its guideways, the Oldham couplingservingl to disconnect the rolvlaitromiits driving means. A specialt ture is the` quickl detachable character ic combined withits ability to vdrive the roll when the aXesot the driving gear and rollf do not coincide.

,Gear 17 for each rolly is mounted on' an eccentric stud 38 whereby. it may be'raiscd outotengagement with cylinder gear18. A crank- 34 isilieye'dY to studt and carriesa springpressed' pin 35 adapted toengage;

either ot two holes- 3G' in- 'trame 37'. Pinf may be raised` out oftengagement with hole 36 byy pulling;.outwardly onilrnob It will thus bei seen that it crank 3st rotated through 180 degrees from ythe `position shown in Figure 27 gear 17. will be disengaged :trein gear 185 thereby, leavingthe roll tree so-that it willi noti rotate4 unless v the cam 25 is in such position-that the roll contacts withzthc To operate `the safety mechanism,` the` sai'ety bar l5 is movedv in either d-Lirection.`

causinglugs del to i disengagel 'from pins L10 whereupon the reaction' oitsprings 23 ycauses bridges 20 t.o swing upwardly, or the springs may throwy thebridges over so as to con pletely, uncover the guideways and allow the rolls to be removed frointhe machine. ln either case, the rolls are held against thegcylinder only by their own wei Lrht and the hand ot the operator may he withdrawn.y f it happens that both hands ofthe operator are simultaneously4 caught. under. the roll l'hvthe, releasing. mechanism can bev acl usted4 by a slight pressure of the shoulder against any portion` of the safety, liar fifi.. lirorderto renderv the operation of the. safety mecha;r nisni an instinctive act, the bar is placedin air overhanging.position with respect to the teedtable,Q,V so ,that the operator,` in lbracing himselfto eXtracthis hand; will pushftlie bar either withliis freehand` or with his shoutlder and thereby free himself? no matter how the/barde be moved. y l

Thetliird cereal roll 16 isnot held down by. bridges, butiislield inposition',by'al boss i? carrying,` the springhousing L1G and is not released when the safety bar is moved, since it is very unlikely that the operators hands would be engaged by that roll.

lt willthus bese'en'that the invention provides a `vsafety mechanism which may be opcratedby being pressed either -iorwardly or baekwardly and that the engagement ot both hands by the rolls will not prevent the operatorlrom pressing4 the har to release-the pressure of the rolls. s

Ability ot the release actuating bar to 'tunctionwhen moved in either. directionpre.- vents dangerous delay and precludes a` new operator actuatingy the bar in the wrong. direction. The positive drive' for the rolls when either up or down preventsscorchingi ot the rolls when separated'troin theheated surface and enables the materialjbeing ironed to `be polished, by giving the, rolls a, slighttx different speed 'from that et the heated surtace. The ability oit the-padded rolls to be iti-@ely rotated and not positively drivenwheu either raised or iny contact, with the. heated Liurtace bermits jriction drive't'or adull fin- Von the material bcingxironed, and also enables the pad-ding on the .rolls to hechaaged with greater ease and facility. and without they necessity of one roll driving another in uuwinding or winding the padding. quick detachable connection enables the roll to be released without .Carrvinggwith it its ldriving gear, and at the same time the par-y ticular type of the quick detachable ceiuiectien usedhere, namelyr the Oldham coupling,

cnables'the roll to be driven by its gear when not in alineinent.

This inventioncombnes the` advantages ot manual release for the rolls with the adante-.ges` descriliiled in connection with the 'machine ot my pending'. applications Serial No. M8206, filed June 23,1923, vfor ironing machine! and Serial No. y machine lil-ed June 2G,t 1924;, oi" which the present application isk a continuation` in part, with the result that the machine ot this invention possesses more advantages and greater flexibility than` any previous ironing` machine.

l claimf:

l. In' an ironing; iiiachine the combination with heated surface, of a' padded roll, means to press the roll against said siirt'ace. n sans for separating said roll4 and surface., means rfor rotating said roll, means for quickly, releasing pressure between said" roll and heated'su tace, andl a quicl.,det'alvhable connection located between said rotating means and said roll. i

2. In an'ironing` machine the combination with a heated surta`cle5A of `a padded rollg ineansto press` the rolly and surface/together, nieanslfor/ separating saidroll and surface', means i011" rotating Sad 'IOlh means fOr quickly releasingy said roll and surface The 722,431` "fo r iron ingl itil) ifi pressing means, and a quick detachable connection comprising an Oldham coupling between said rotating means and said roll.

3. ln an ironing machine the combination with a heated surface, of a. padded roll, means for pressing the roll and surface together, means for separating said roll and surface, means for rotating said roll, means for quickly releasing said roll pressing means, and a quick, detachable driving connec-tion located on the roll shaft between said rotating means and said roll.

et. ln an ironing machine the combination with a heated surface, of a padded roll, means to press the roll and surface together, means for separating said roll and surface, means for rotating saidroll, a feed table across the front of said machine and at about the level of the contact between said roll and surface, means for quickly releasing said roll pressing means, and actuating means for said releasing means located at the front of said machine, substantially over said feed table, and including a lever having means whereby a movement thereof rtoward or away from said feed table releases said roll pressing means.

5. In an ironingmachine the combination with aA heated rotatable cylinder, of a padded roll contacting therewith, a bridge associated with said roll, a spring interposed between said bridge and said roll andl adapted to press the roll against the cylinder, a lever having means to hold said bridgeV against said spring, and means whereby a movement of said lever in either of two directions disengages said bridge.

6. An ironing machine comprising a cylinder, a plurality of rolls adapted to cothis 27th day of May A.

operate therewith, a driving means for said rolls, means for separating said rolls from the cylinder, and for rotating the rolls when in Contact with or separated from said cylinder, means for disconnecting any one of said rolls from its driving means, means for -resiliently pressing said rolls against said cylinder, and safety means for releasing such pressure.

7. An ironing machine comprising a frame, a heated surface mounted therein, a feed table adjacent said heated surface, a plurality of rolls adapted to co-operate with said heated surface, driving means for said rolls, a pair of bridges pivoted to said frame, springs carried by said bridges and engaging the bearings of the rolls to press the rolls into contactA with the heated surface, a pairof levers pivoted to said frame and engaging'V said bridges, said levers having means whereby a movement thereof toward or from the feed table releases said bridging members, and a safety bar extending between said levers and overhanging said feed table.

8. In an ironing machine the combination with a heated surface, of a padded roll, spring means'to press the roll toward said surface, means for rotating said roll when either contacting with or spaced from said surface, and latch means operative without moving the roll for quickly releasing vthe tension of the springs upon said roll when the same is either raised from or` in contact with said surface.

Signed at Hyde ParkV on Hudson', in the county of Dutchess, and State of New York,

D. 1926. f ROBERT HOE. 

